Polaris shuts down Victory Motorcycle Division

As has been widely reported, Polaris has decided to shut down its Victory Motorcycles Division after 18 years.

After acquiring the Indian brand in 2011, Polaris has struggled to maintain a strong hold in the industry. While the overall motorcycle industry saw a single digit decline in sales, Victory and Indian together saw some growth in the low teens percentage. However, according to their recent press release, Victory “"has struggled to establish the market share needed to succeed and be profitable." When you add to that the combination of Indian Motorcycle's relative out performance and significant incremental investments required launching new Victory platforms to adapt to consumers' changing tastes, and the company insists, "The decision to more narrowly focus Polaris' energy and investments became quite clear."

Polaris will not, however, completely abandon its customers or dealers that have invested in the Victory Brand. They will continue to supply parts for 10 years, help dealers liquidate their supplies and still provide service and warranty coverage to dealers and buyers. Since Victory motorcycles first burst on the scene in 1998, they have won 25 industry awards.